How a Wrong Call Started NORAD’s Santa Tracking Tradition
Learn about the surprising events that led to NORAD’s cherished Santa tracking service.
Each Christmas Eve, a remarkable transformation takes place at one of North America’s most serious military installations. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), typically focused on monitoring potential airspace threats, shifts its attention to tracking a very special visitor—Santa Claus—delighting millions of children worldwide.
NORAD’s Santa tracking operation reaches global audience
What began as a wrong number in 1955 has evolved into an international phenomenon, with NORAD’s Santa tracking service now reaching audiences in nine languages. Each year, the operation fields over 100,000 phone calls from excited children while millions more follow Santa’s journey online.
“There are screams and giggles and laughter,” Bob Sommers, a 63-year-old civilian contractor who volunteers for the program, told 6 News. Sommers often reminds young callers that children need to be asleep before Santa arrives, prompting parents to use this as a helpful bedtime reminder.
A Cold War mix-up becomes cherished tradition
The story began when a Colorado Springs newspaper advertisement misprinted a phone number meant to connect children with Santa. Instead, calls reached the Continental Air Defense Command’s top-secret line. Colonel Harry W. Shoup, receiving one such call on the emergency “red phone,” demonstrated quick thinking and holiday spirit.
As Shoup recounted to the Associated Press in 1999, after realizing a child was expecting Santa, he transformed his voice, responding, “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?”
Modern technology meets holiday magic
Air Force Lt. Gen. Case Cunningham recently detailed how NORAD’s sophisticated tracking systems follow Santa’s journey: “That’s when the satellite systems we use to track and identify targets of interest every single day start to kick in,” explaining that Rudolph’s glowing nose provides a heat signature their satellites can detect.
The public can track Santa through NORAD’s website at www.noradsanta.org from 4 a.m. to midnight MST on Christmas Eve. Live operator assistance is available at 1-877-HI-NORAD from 6 a.m. to midnight MST.
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